


Hello Stranger

by sunnyFlorist



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Eventual Relationships, M/M, dating show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-02-23 20:37:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18709552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnyFlorist/pseuds/sunnyFlorist
Summary: Johnny & Associates have seen a major economic dip the last couple of years, and are taking desperate measures to increase the relevancy of their artists. They send Arashi to the currently very popular dating game show, "Hello Stranger" where they are going to be guests the entire season.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I had to make up some excuse for JE to do something crazy like putting them on a dating show, so I had to set this story a bit off into the future. This was the most sensible scenario I could come up with, but I don’t know if I should put a trigger warning since their hiatus will be brought up in this? Consider yourself warned.

**National Idols Arashi to appear on popular dating show “Hello Stranger”**

#Featured, #News

**The well-known national idol group “Arashi” (Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari and Matsumoto Jun), are confirmed to appear on the hit dating game-show “Hello Stranger”. This was announced at a press-conference today held by Johnny kitagawa, head of the talent agency the talents are under, Johnny & Associates. **

Kitagawa shocked the press by revealing that the Arashi-members will be appearing alone on the show, having one member take on the role as the show’s infamous “flower girl”, while the others act as regular competitors. “We have not yet chosen who will be married off, the members will get together sometime this week to make the decision” kitagawa explained. “Hello Stranger” is known for ending each season of their programme with a broadcast of the wedding ceremony between the season’s “flower girl” and her chosen “heartbeat boy”. Mr. Kitagawa confirmed this to be true for next year’s season as well.

This announcement sparked serious controversy among the Arashi-group’s fans, with many expressing worry about how this will affect the group’s public image, in addition to their concern regarding the Arashi-members’ own freedom of choice in their involvement with the show. However, many also expressed their excitement and interest in their appearance on the programme, as this will be the talents’ first major television appearance since returning from their four-year long hiatus in January of 2025.

Arashi will halt some of their activities temporarily to participate in the show. “Arashi will come out with an official statement to their fans soon to explain the situation further. For now, I know this announcement is sudden but I hope you will understand and accept this decision”, Kitagawa continued. It is unclear how long the break will be, however Kitagawa assures that their regularly scheduled TV shows will continue as usual.

When asked about the motivation behind bringing this group of men to a programme like “Hello Stranger”, Kitagawa chose not to comment.

Following this announcement, there has been observed a sudden spike in Arashi’s album sales, that have been remarkably low for several years in a row since the return from their hiatus. It is predicted that this stunt will renew interest in the company’s artists and drive up the Arashi-group’s sales during its airtime.

The show will start airing on Nippon TV in February of next year, with new episodes every other week. 

🕔 19 Hours ago


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Arashi receives a folded document in an envelope, handed over by an assistant in private during the break in between shooting.)

“Hello Stranger?” looking genuinely confused, Aiba glances over at Sho from across the table, who is holding the newly arrived document in his hand with steady fingers.

Scanning over the few words pressed across the page several times to make sure he is not missing something, Sho concludes: “Yeah”.

“The dating show?” Aiba continues in slight disbelief.

“… Yeah.” He lowers the page as he looks up, processing.

“Wait seriously?” Jun chimes in, clearly asking for more information as he sits up from his lounging position.

Sho passes over the document:

“Dear Arashi-san.

We have arranged with Nippon TV to send you on one of their most successful television shows. We hope you will do your best during these times to appear well for a big audience. The title of the programme is “Hello Stranger”, and filming will start in the beginning of next month.

The format of the show will require you to stay on set for longer periods of time, where you will be filmed continuously. We hope to have your written consent to this soon. You will receive a more detailed schedule regarding this programme shortly, along with the consent-forms. Your other regular programmes’ filmings will be rescheduled to accommodate this.

The programme’s concept is simple, and each episode has a unique setting, meaning you will be filming in various locations. […] We would like you to yourself choose who you would prefer to play the role as “flower girl” during the show’s runtime. Please have this decision ready at least a week before the start of filming. […] We hope you understand that we all have Arashi-san’s best interest in mind with this arrangement, and how this will be a big opportunity to regain recognition by the public. We are looking forward to your participation.

Thank you for your hard work.”

Jun silently looks up from the paper, wide eyed, and hands it over to Ohno silently. Ohno spends a significantly longer time studying it, with a uniform and unreadable expression. When he finishes, he looks up with a stoic face. “Should we complain about this?”

“Making the decision without even discussing with us first is unacceptable”, Nino says from the corner of the break-room couch, leaning on the armrest. “I don’t like how they are taking liberties so unapologetically. They are taking our cooperation blatantly for granted. “

“I would never agree to this willingly…” Jun sighs, stressed, leaning back down into the couch.

“I don’t know if Johnny-san would accept it if we complained about this. We are not in a position to make any big demands at the moment” Sho reaches out his hand to retrieve the document from Ohno.

“So, what, do you just want us to accept it then?” Nino says, watching the paper pass by him across the table.

“Despite everything, it is true that we are in need of some promotion for a wider audience, and this is a very good chance at that. I see where this is coming from.” Sho folds the paper and stuffs it back into the envelope. “The management seemed very insistent in the letter that this decision is final, and opposing it will most likely cause a lot of problems for a lot of people. I think arguing would be a bad idea for us at the moment.”

Ohno nods slowly, letting out a low agreeing sound. The other three members’ faces seem hesitant but understanding. The room remains silent for a moment before Aiba breaks in.

“Well, none us are married after all this time, this might be a chance to-“ he is quickly interrupted by Nino’s disgusted “No”, hand launching out to cover Aiba’s mouth with an expression that resembles a mix of distress and agony.

“You realize we will be marrying eachother?” Jun asks genuinely.

“…”

“But we had to decide which one of us should be flower-girl, right? Who should we pick?” Aiba manages to pry Nino’s fingers off his mouth, with some difficulty, leaving the one in question staring at Aiba with pure disgust, because the guy seems way too enthusiastic about this way too soon.

Silence falls again as eyes start to wander nervously. Nino tares his gaze away from Aiba, and somewhat of an unspoken consensus is formed witch Jun ends up voicing after some time of eye-flaring and slight nodding.

“Ultimately, it has to be leader, right?” Ohno coughs on the water he was drinking. It seems he had not been part of the unspoken negotiations from earlier.

“The oldest one should take responsibility, right?” Nino smirks from back in his laid-back position. “Who else besides the leader?”

“After all, it has to be leader” Aiba looks as if he made some sort of revelation just now despite being the one who gestured the most violently during their silent exchange a few moments ago.

“With Ohno-kun’s personality, I think he would manage it the best” Sho says, serious-faced despite everything.

“As expected, it’s leader”

“Ultimately, it’s leader”

“If anyone, it’s leader”

The members nod in agreement enthusiastically.

Ohno, at a loss for words, stays with his mouth slightly open as his eyes flicker from person to person as they talk in quick succession. His index finger is slightly twitching as if ready to gesture his counter-point, yet he does not manage to say anything before a staff member knocks on the break room door to signal for the shooting to recommence.

He sighs, shaking his head back to reality as he gets up from his chair to follow the others back to the set, grumbling. “So I guess we’re doing this then…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the “document” seemed a little off and weird, I had really no idea of what to write here to make it seem legitimate, so I just went for it.
> 
> Also, I am not a frequent uploader and i write slowly, so please be patient with me (^▽^;)  
> I will try my best, but do't expect any cosistency... haha, sorry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Arashi in the car on their way to the first day of filming the gameshow.)

“Hey, what about if we start calling you Oh-chan from now on?” Ohno turns away from the passing lights outside the car window to look at a cheeky-faced Aiba smiling back at him.

“I think it would be better for all of us” Nino says with a surprisingly honest voice.

“I don’t know if I would be able to call you Ohno-kun on our date…” Jun adds, trailing off while scratching his neck with an unpleasant face.

“Why? It’s not like it’s going to be anything different from eating out like normal, right?” Sho says, not having any real faith in his own words either, but voicing them anyway just to add some sense of optimism to the complete and utter air of defeat that the other members are giving off. Expectedly, he receives no response, though he notices a slight involuntary twitch in Ohno’s eye when he finishes speaking.

“How about it, Oh-chan?” Nino’s smile crincles his eyes as the back of his head faces sho completely.

“Please don’t.”

“…” The members do not say anything, yet their faces speak loudly of how they will disregard the oldest’s wishes in favour of their own, as they look at him funnily with a hint of smugness before going back to their own again.


	4. Chapter 4

The company car eventually pulls up at the filming location. Its identity easily revealed itself by the tall control tower over top of the familiar large white building blatantly visible from a distance as they were approaching. The amount of people dragging luggage cases in various directions along the walkway as the members step out of the vehicle is also telling.

Ohno is immediately snatched away by a few staff members to a designated area of the parking lot, set up with various charts and wagons precariously parked to take up as minimal of an amount of space as possible. The small settlement is fenced off from the rest of the airport parking lot, and buzzing with hurried workers moving lights and camera equipment around with an air of urgency about them. Being carefully ushered into one of the carts, Ohno casts one last glance at the other members being led into a bigger white square tent facing away from where he is taken. To him they seem dangerously unbothered.

The four members enter the relatively spacious makeup tent, and are immediately met by the stylist and her assistants. Jun is first dragged off to get his hair and makeup done, while Sho is the first to be brought a set of clothes to change into. The two others have a few minuites of breathing time before it’s their turn, and Aiba can tell on Nino’s face that the reality of the situation is starting to sink in. it looks like he died inside. Just a little. He just slumps down into a chair and stares blankly ahead for a worrying amount of time, until he is startled back to reality by a makeup assistant who is gesturing for him towards a swivel-chair by the mirror at the other end of the tent.

When all the members are camera ready, sho is told he is the first contestant to go.


End file.
